​Tarot is More than PredictionsTrust me, I love a good prediction as much as the next guy. It is thrilling to peer ahead into the misty future to wonder how something will turn out and if I will be okay.Often it feels to me that tarot is used as a hammer, that it has only one real use which is fortune telling.But actually, it is an extraordinary type of Swiss Army knife. One deck is packed with different tools, each extraordinarily specific to whatever challenges one is currently facing.In my practice, here are just a few of the ways that I have seen tarot help my clients beyond predictions.Strengthens Relationships-Maybe the question is not “Should I stay or go?” but rather, “How can we make this better than it is?”Gives permission to leave what’s broken-Sometimes we ask tarot, “Can we fix him?”, and tarot answers, “It’s okay, you tried, but you need to go now.” Understanding when it is time to let go with love is one of the hardest things to learn.Gain hope and inspiration-When we think things can’t get better and we have to cut our losses tarot will show us a way we never thought of before, and it changes everything.Destroys inner critics and saboteurs-Tarot is excellent bar none for directly pointing out the inner machinations that try to make us small by courting failure. I love tarot for its ability to shine a light right into our darkest corners.Heals hearts-One session with a good tarot practitioner can do so much to heal someone with a broken heart. We ask, “Will I ever be better?”, and tarot responds by saying, “Oh yes, and this is how.”Engages spiritual truths-Tarot has a way of reminding us of the larger picture. You know, the one beyond the parking tickets and the jeans that no longer fit. Tarot reminds us of why we are here, but most importantly, what we are here to learn.Reveals agreements you make with the Universe-When we are reminded of what we are here to learn, we also learn about some of the agreements we made with the Universe. We aren’t downloaded into this plane with a task list. They have to be revealed by the act of living.Scales intuitive fluency-If you are looking to become a more intuitive (or psychic) person, I cannot think of a better way than to learn tarot.Rewrites painful narratives-We walk around with so much pain. All of us. This pain is often old narratives from the past impacting the present. Tarot has a way of dismantling those old stories we tell about ourselves (and our worth) and helps us rewrite new ones.Alleviates anxiety-It is true that anxiety is the emotion people most often feel that convinces them that it is time to get a reading and they hope that knowing the future will alleviate anxiety. However, tarot alleviates anxiety through a different action which is revealing truth so you can face it and move on.Offers relief-Tarot can be a great nurturer to the heart-sick, the lonely, the lost, and the hurting. I find that the tone that tarot uses in session speaks directly to the emotional needs of the querent in a way that is driven for their greater good.Finds new approaches-When you are stuck, tarot has 78 new ways of looking at a problem in a different light.Helps you find your path-Once you understand some of what you need to learn, and have uncovered your agreements with the Universe, you can then use tarot to help you find the action part, your path. What are you here to do? How are you here to serve? This is typically not the “Am I meant to be a nurse?”, as much as, “In what ways am I being called to heal the planet?”Removes limits- And once you know your path, tarot helps remove roadblocks that get in the way of fulfilling that purposeful walk through this mortal coil. Tarot shows us exactly what we need to dismantle so we can move forward.Often in session some clients of mine are surprised, they say to me, “I didn’t know that this was going to be like therapy.” But, it isn’t actually. For one, I do a helluva lot of talking in session whereas in therapy the client is doing the talking.Like a therapy session, tarot does go deep and asks important questions that do require reflection, self-awareness, and trust with the practitioner.But, a tarot reading is more directive, spiritual, and results-oriented than what I know of a typical therapy session. Also, it is fast. One session and I don’t want to see you again for awhile. We want to use tarot as tool to move forward, not as a tool to grab whenever you are feeling anxious.For me, most of the work is actually getting to the right questions. When we find the right question, we strike at any of the ways tarot can help. Sometimes those questions will be predictive, but usually the most important questions are galactic. Who am I becoming? What am I leaving behind? In what shape is this unfolding taking place?That’s the good stuff right there.